US military mandatory vaccination by September 15: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-us-military-requirement-pentagon-3975940c732352f72e41f6e34a3a2669 . This is an obvious issue for military preparedness, made more obvious by the outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020. Taking 18 months to act on something this obvious does make you wonder about US military preparedness. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-backs-pentagons-plan-to-vaccinate-u-s-military-11628531944 .
The DeMentis COVID wave continues: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/delta-variant-pushes-us-cases-hospitalizations-6-month-high-2021-08-09/ . And with schools about to reopen in Florida without a mask mandate, we are about to sacrifice more of our children on DeMentis’ political “career”.
However, two school district superintendents fight back: https://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-school-districts-refuse-mask-opt-students/story?id=79364585 . Again, there are sane people in Florida. Hopefully, they will elect one governor next year.
A similar showdown looms in Texas: https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2021-08-09/dallas-defies-abbott-mandates-masks-in-k-12-schools . Abbott’s current term also ends in 2022.
Reality begins to close in on DeMentis and Abbott: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/salaries-florida-school-superintendents-who-impose-mask-rules-risk-desantis-n1276387 . Abbott’s press is no better: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/texas-abbott-mask-mandates-1209665/ . It is increasingly obvious as to who is taking the high road here. One fact these loser governors ignore: while the original strain was relatively less dangerous to women and children, that is not the case with the Delta variant. That is why we have more children in the hospital than at any time since the start of the pandemic: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/09/health/coronavirus-children-delta.html .
Arkansas sets COVID hospitalization record: https://apnews.com/article/health-arkansas-coronavirus-pandemic-7ed21edba1069f6c57e07c42540021fe . Ditto for Louisiana: https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_d10b34ba-f934-11eb-ae4a-73fb8dcb1bf9.html . WSJ: And Florida: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-delta-variant-spreads-florida-hospitals-race-to-find-open-beds-11628501401 .
UK “expert” says pandemic should end next year: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covid-pandemic-should-end-next-year-linda-bauld-university-of-edinburgh-b949786.html . These experts would do better to study and think rather than seek publicity. “Pandemic” refers to the global situation, while the expert seems to be discussing the situation in the UK. We know breakthrough infections can beat the current vaccines, and we don’t even get that far until the world is more fully vaccinated.
As to the flu, yes, the flu has largely disappeared because of COVID prevention measures. So why not work on ongoing prevention measures that would hold down both the flu and COVID? I don’t really mind wearing a mask, especially if it would hold down these two and other respiratory illnesses.
Former CDC director predicts more contagious COVID variant in 2 to 4 months: https://www.deseret.com/coronavirus/2021/8/9/22617534/covid-variant-worse-than-delta-predictions . Sigh. This is certainly a possibility. However, making a prediction like this is just bizarre. All this proves is that Dr. Redfield was not an appropriate person to head the CDC.
The booster debate continues: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/moderna-presses-for-covid-19-boosters-as-federal-health-officials-warm-to-an-extra-dose-for-some-people-11628258786 .
WSJ: Drawing lines with the unvaccinated: https://www.wsj.com/articles/vaccination-status-has-americans-picking-sides-11628510400 . It was good for the unvaccinated couple to disclose their status. They also get that they are regularly being excluded, and they still choose to be unvaccinated.
The “risks” of China’s COVID zero strategy: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/chinas-covid-zero-strategy-risks-leaving-it-isolated-for-years/ar-AAN6mGl?li=BBnb7Kz . Huh? China likes isolating its population from the world. That’s why they censor the Internet. However, as previously stated here multiple times, the zero strategy can only be a temporary strategy. It just creates the opportunity to vaccinate your population.
Are the Olympics to blame for Tokyo’s COVID surge?: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/10/did-the-tokyo-olympics-fuel-japans-covid-19-surge . This seems highly unlikely. However, given the negative attitude among the Japanese general public about hosting the Games, it is not surprising that these claims are being made. What will happen in Beijing in 6 months?
Biden’s eviction freeze extension back in court: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/567010-federal-judge-suggests-gamesmanship-at-play-in-biden-administration . Technically, the judge is correct that the DC Circuit decision remains in effect. Is it too much to ask that Congress act in the meantime? Summer recess is in the way, and the question is what if anything can pass the Senate. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-new-eviction-ban-receives-mixed-court-reception-11628527639 .
Infrastructure bill on track for Senate passage Tuesday: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d . This is a huge win for Biden. Among other things, it reemphasizes that Republican politicians do not now nor have they ever listened to Orange Julius on policy. Hopefully, culture wars, Cancun Cruz and “You must be Joshin’” Hawley will become yesterday’s news too. WSJ: More(or less): https://www.wsj.com/articles/infrastructure-bill-clears-senate-procedural-hurdle-11628361290 . The Journal chose not to cover the “ignore OJ” part of the story. Gee, why is that?
WSJ: Details of the Democrats’ “companion” bill: https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-budget-plan-what-11626301275 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-democrats-release-outline-of-3-5-trillion-antipoverty-climate-plan-11628513109 .
The limits of science, or at least scientists: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/379769 . While I love science, it is just bizarre to say that an asteroid is “worth more than the entire global economy of planet Earth”. There is NO economy other than that of planet Earth. If the asteroid is composed mainly of iron and nickel, then any significant infusion of those elements into Earth’s economy would collapse their value. I realize scientists may not have studied much economics, but apparently they skipped the logic courses too.
US quietly settles Orange Julius whistleblower case: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-08-09/us-settles-scientists-whistleblower-complaint-about-trump-covid-19-response . Dr. Bright filed his complaint in May, 2020: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/05/850960344/rick-bright-former-top-vaccine-scientist-files-whistleblower-complaint .
NBC’s Olympics ratings fall to half of 2012 Olympics: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/nbc-says-tokyo-olympics-tv-ratings-slide-15-mln-streaming-sets-record-2021-08-09/ . So the “reasons” given here miss the central points. First and foremost, NBC’s coverage sucked. Second, it isn’t just that NBC spread the coverage over so many networks. People are cutting the cable cord, so the multi-network strategy is becoming outdated. And third, what I hear is that people just don’t regard the Olympics as that special of an event anymore. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nbc-draws-its-lowest-summer-olympics-ratings-ever-for-tokyo-games-11628547501 .
Remember, the Winter Olympics are coming in just 6 months from Beijing. It’s easy to predict that they will be a similar ratings disaster. And once this snowball starts rolling downhill, it will be hard to stop. Remember also that very few cities are interested in bidding for future Olympics. This one was an economic disaster for Japan. It is hard to see what will reverse these trends.